Wildfire Paramedic: This Is My Job

The 2008 wildfire season was a busy time for EMT-paramedic Michael Casey, who battled flames for weeks on end while caring for the wounded along the spine of California's steep, rugged backcountry. Casey will work anywhere, but drought, dry fuel and strong winds make business especially brisk from the state's northern Klamath Range to the southern Sierras. The firefighters who helicopter into big fires suffer dehydration, burns, breathing problems and occasionally massive injuries when flaming Douglas firs and other behemoths crash down. "In a day you may treat 20 folks or 200," he says. "You've got to love serving people."